Managing community cohesion

Following the EU Referendum last week there have been some reports of community tension across Dorset

The Dorset Race Equality Council issued a statement on Monday 27 June to encourage cohesion at this historic time for everyone in our communities.

As a council we fully support their advice and below is a copy of a statement the Mayor of Poole, Councillor Xena Dion, read out at Full Council on 28 June:

“Thursday 23rd June was a day of historic significance for the United Kingdom. In a closely contested Referendum, the UK voted to leave the European Union.

“The decision has an impact on all of us, regardless of political persuasion, and the implications will not be clear for some time to come as the Government develops a strategy for managing the transition. However, where the Referendum campaign has brought division in communities, work must begin now to bridge those divisions and maintain the equal and tolerant society to which Britain has aspired in recent decades. As community leaders, we are all in a position to lead by example and demonstrate what sort of community we want Poole to be.

“There are many EU citizens and other groups living in Poole who have been left feeling uncertain over their future. The Borough of Poole emphatically rejects any form of hostility or discrimination towards an individual or group based on their migratory status or ethnic background, and we encourage anyone who experiences any such behaviour to report their experiences to Dorset Police.

“I hope that we can move forward in unity and with confidence for the future of our town.”

Advice and guidance on what to do if you experience or are aware of others experiencing any hostility or discrimination is available on our website. We all have a role in reporting prejudice incidents and we would encourage anyone who is the victim of an incident or who witnesses an incident to report them to us.